The Phantom Runaway
by purpledragon6
Summary: Adopted from mazzdaspazz. Taking a deep breath, he lept from the ledge, before taking off into the air. Jazz meanwhile, was watching from her spot in the living room and feeling that this would be the last time they saw him.
1. The Runaway

**A/N: Hello again! Some of you may remember me as being Mazzdaspazz's Beta reader when this story first started, and now I'm the adopted author of this story. Apparently a parental dispute it a cause behind the sudden change but we will get this story back on track and updated soon.**

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**Prologue: **

It started with her, or rather without her. Outside the Amity Part movie theater. At first he thought she was late, that was at eight when they had promised to meet up... Then he waited, and waited, while thinking of every logical and non-logical reason that she might have been later. By ten he had got tired of waiting and decided to return home. By the time he got back, it was almost 11 at night and he had already gone through three sets of emotions during that time. He was happy at the beginning of the night, but now he was just beyond that of anger. He was so tempted to just climb into his bedroom window using his power of flight, but instead he chose the front door. Bad idea...

"DANIEL JAMES FENTON!" His mother's shrill but worried tone hit him full force upon his entering. "Where on God's green earth were you!? Do you have any idea what time it is!?"

"Getting stood up..." Maddie's worry seemed to return ten-fold, but as her son's words sunk in and all this worry turned to annoyance.

"So, it was just a date!" Jazz butted in before Maddie could release any of her fury, she also added in. "At least you weren't out doing drugs or something."

"Yeah... A date with Sam" He spat out her name as if it burned his tongue badly. "Geez, you know the girl for 7 years and-"

"Well, you should have come straight home when your curfew came!" Maddie shot in, some of her anger ebbing away after Jazz's cut-in. "I almost called the police!"

Her words suddenly left the family in a bitter silence. With Maddie at a loss of words for now, Jazz being in the same state, and Danny still a bit peeved at the nights events. It seemed as though the three were about to go their separate ways for the night, to let off at least some among of steam before anyone lashed out again. It seemed that way at first, at least until Jack suddenly came up from his lab in the basement, with a big ray gun of many sorts pile up in his arms.

"Hey, Danny-O, look at this baby; The Fenton Extra-Polater." Jack introduced the gun with a wave of the arm. "This baby decelerates the cells in a ghost, reversing the age process until they disappear! At least thats what its supposed to do."

"Yeah yeah... Thats nice dad. But I'm really not in the mood." Danny muttered, about to go upstairs when Jack suddenly grabbed hold of his arm.

"Aww, whats wrong? Things not go well with that Sammy girl? Well, I know what thats like." For a moment, Danny almost felt a little relieved, that was until his father kept talking. "So you know what cheers me up? Hunting ghosts!"

"Dad, just stop with your obsession with hunting ghosts for once!" Danny was so annoyed that he didn't register himself what he had just said. "Just for five minutes, would you go without them!?"

"But they're all just menaces. Stupid, ectoplasmic, wastes of space." Jack had no idea the cords he was striking the more he talked to his son, and against his better judgment he just kept going. "Especially that Danny Phantom. I mean, sure hes saved us a bunch of times, but-"

"No. He is not, he is a good ghost who just gets the crap end of the stick!" Danny shot back, wanting to save at least half of his dignity tonight. "When will you realize that? The next time he saves your life, or the second time he saves the planet!?"

"Son, I used to say that all the time when I first started out in ghost studies." Jack said, placing his ray-gun down on the ground and shrugging. "But if you're anything like me, you'll eventually realize that you're wrong an-"

"Well, maybe I don't want to be like you then." Danny replied, rubbing his face with his hand tiredly. "Because I already know that I'm right about him."

"What?" Jack gasped in both rejection and shock at his son's words. "But Dan-"

"I mean it dad! You're wrong about Phantom and I know it." Danny muttered back, trying to calm himself before he said something stupid.

"No son of mine will stand up for a ghost!" Jack yelped, hurt by what his son was saying.

"Well, then I guess you don't have a son anymore." Of course he didn't mean it, and he never would! He was just really upset, and if only Jack knew that.

"We never did." Danny took a step back in surprise, all of his anger suddenly replaced with confusion.

"Dad... Don't." Jazz cut in, her usually mature and crisp tone suddenly replaced by a much more quiet one.

"Jazz, please stay out of it." Maddie sighed, taking a place next to her husband's side and looking up at her son slowly.

"We weren't going to tell you until you were older, but if you insist on it, I guess we can tell you now..."

"D-dad, what the heck are you talking about!" Danny gasped out, feeling his head spin a little as he tried to process everything.

One second hes waiting for Sam at the movies, then hes angry as crap walking home and getting yelled at by his mom, and now he was standing on the stairs with so many knots in his stomach as his father took a deep breath, about to revile something that he hadn't known. It was all so much to take in, but he was going to have to make room on his plate, because the world was about to throw so much more at him.

"Danny, you are our son... Though not biologically, you are our son." Jack began, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "I don't know how to tell you this, but you're adopted. Since you already renounced me as your father, I thought it was best you know now."

"D-dad! Come on, thats crazy! Mom-" He paused and looked to his mom for any indication that this was a joke. "Guys, come on, you don't mean tha-"

"Danny, I wish we were." Maddie sighed, about to go to her son to embrace him, only for him to pull away quickly. "I know this is sudden... But-"

"I shouldn't have let that slip, but you-" Jack began, but was suddenly cut off by Danny.

"I don't want to hear it! You're right its sudden!" Danny yelled, feeling a mix of his earlier shock and anger suddenly return to him. "I was just upset because of the date but now- I just don't know what I am now! Why didn't you tell me this!? Why now!"

"We didn't know if you'd be able to handle it. We thought we would be able to hide it bu- " Maddie paused and chose her words carefully. "Well we thought since you were turning out so differently than your sister that you might just put two and two together on your own..."

"Well, I didn't! I-" He suddenly got interrupted by a shrill noise coming from in the lab.

Danny went pale-er than before, clapping a hand over his mouth before his ghost sense went off. The sound came in much louder now, causing all other noise in the room to cease. After a few seconds, it went quiet again, and a stiff Danny suddenly felt his legs dashing down the stairs with a new found rage pulling him along. Rage that wasn't from Sam standing him up, his parents big revile, or their words against the Phantom. He knew that sound anywhere, and it was the sound of a capture ghost. The Fenton family were following closely behind him as they made it to the lab. In the far corner of the room, a cage with the words 'Fenton Ghost Cage' printed on it sat. Inside was a little girl who bore a striking resemblance to Phantom.

"Woah! We actually caught one!" Jack announced, sounding as if nothing had happened just a few minutes ago.

"What is that thing!?" Danny demanded, rushing over to it before his mother or father could hold him back.

"That, Danny is the Fenton Ghost Cage. That cage is so advanced that no ghost can get out of it." Jack stated proudly, folding his arms over his chest. "Unless of course, a human or one of us let him out or something by pressing the release button."

"Da-Dann-y!" The little ghost girl managed to get out between sobs, obviously frightened but also relieved to see a familiar face.

"Hm, thats funny. It almost sounded like she said-" Jack never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment Danny rushed passed him and punched the bright red 'RELEASE' button found of the front of the cage.

"Danielle!" The youngest male in the room yelled as the girl stumbled out and landed in his arms.

"I-I was s-so sc-" The girl stopped long enough to cling tightly to the oneholding her.

"Shh, I'm here Dani... I won't go..." He whispered in her ear as he stroked her hair.

"Danny! Put that ghost scum back in the cage before it gets away!" Jack yelped, though Danny wasn't listening.

Danielle was though, as she looked up with fear filled eyes. She could just sense that Danny was already hurting badly emotionally, and she didn't want to cause him any more trouble just staying there, and suddenly turned invisible. Unknowingly leaving Danny's arms empty and him to feel more lonely than ever. He got up slowly, with so many thoughts swimming around in his mind. That ghost that his 'family' had just caught and were more than likely going to try and kill, was his cousin. She was the only family he felt he had left at this point in a sudden violent mood-swing and now she had gone off too, to who knows where!

"Danny! Where did it go?" He tensed at first at the sound of Jack's voice, but turned around so suddenly and glared at him, making the supposedly fearless hunter take a step back.

"I wouldn't know Jack," He shot back dangerously. "And like f*** I'm going to tell you."

"Daniel! Don't speak to your father that way!" Maddie shrieked, watching in fury as Danny walked calmly back towards the flight of stairs leading out of the lad. "You get back here young man!"

"You aren't my parents, so don't even try to stop me!" He shot back darkly, taking off running up the stairs and going in the direction of his room.

He stormed into the room and grabbed a stray black backpack with neon blue lines on it and quickly went through his room, packing it up with anything he felt he would need. That included 3 pairs of jeans, 2 t-shirts , his cell- phone, the only two books he had in his room which weren't comic books, and an old stopwatch he felt the need to take also. Sighing heavily, he also tapped into Team Phantom's secret stash of stolen lab weapons. Which was mainly 1 thermos, 2 ecto-daggers, 1 ecto-gun, an ecto-staff, and a map he had drawn of the ghost zone. With all of that in his bag, he pulled it onto his shoulders and locked the bed-room door before going to the window and opening it up.

"I'll go to school tomorrow... Just to tell Sam and Tucker... And then... Then I'll look for a new home..." With that, he climbed out onto the ledge between his window and the ground. "Going ghost."

Taking a deep breath, he lept from the ledge, before taking off into the air. Jazz meanwhile, was watching from her spot in the living room and feeling that this would be the last time they saw him.


	2. We're In This Together

'I swear I'm an insomniac... But I guess I have to work with the amount of sleep I- Wait! That would imply that I actually sleep!' Danny thought as he flew towards the school, mentally face-palming at it before picking up his pace.

The brick walls of the school building were quickly coming into his line of vision as he ducked down closer and closer to the ground. Quietly, he landed evenly, and then transformed into his human self behind a tree. Checking himself over quickly, he nodded his approval at his raven's wing hair and pale skin before running at human speed to where he, Sam, and Tucker had agreed to meet, but then he stopped. A memory suddenly touching his thoughts and urging him to run a little slower than he had before, giving him more time to think before arriving in the gym.

'I'll just let her explain...' He thought as he walked around the corner, to the back of the bleachers.

When he got there, he had expected to see his friends hanging around or goofing off like they usually would. However, he gasped at what he saw. There was Sam, his childhood friend almost 7 years, and his other best friend, Tucker. The two were seemingly cradling each other in the other's arms, something unlike the two of them, or at least as far as Danny was concerned it was. Sam looked up suddenly from the hug, still mindless to the fact that Danny was behind the bleachers with them, and straightened out a little bit so she could reach her slightly taller friend, and gently kissed his cheek, or rather the corner of his lips. Now that was something Danny had not expected to see that day.

"Sam, Tucker?" They both turned in unison and looked at him with wide-set eyes. 'Maybe I should just leave town now... Things are just getting way to wrong and way to quick!'

"Danny! Wait!" Sam's voice came, wanting to explain for the two of them, but by now Danny had already backed away and took off running.

He turned the corner, to lost in his thoughts to even hear Sam still calling for him. He needed to be alone, to process everything that had just happened. Dots of tears spotted his eyes, and he brought up his arm to wipe them away. However, because of the quick rub of eyes, he hadn't realized that he would be running into someone until it was a little to late.

"Oh my god! Watch where you'r- Wait! Oh I'm so sorry Danny!" He took his arm away from his eyes and looked up, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

"Hey Re- Val... No, its my fault I wasn't..." She raised an eyebrow in his direction, eyeing the light tear streaks that were down the side of his nose.

"Danny whats wrong?" She asked, suddenly feeling a wave of worry wash over her.

A tense silence passed between the two as Danny fought with himself mentally, torn between telling her everything that was on his mind now, so at least one person knew before he left and just leaving now without explaining himself, like everyone else seemed to be doing lately.

"Meet me at the Nasty Burger after school. I really don't want to talk about here." Danny said suddenly, still wanting that alone time to gather his thoughts.

She nodded her head slowly, knowing that pressing him for answers now wouldn't be good for either of them. Danny was slightly glad that she respected this, and put on his usually doppy face just for show as they walked to their respective classes in an uncomfortable silence. Everything after that passed by in a blur. The lessons were as slow as ever but all seemed to streak together as they went by. The end of the school day finally came around as it always did though, and as the last class had finished, Danny pulled his black and blue backpack on over his shoulders and sprinted at his top human speed to the Nasty Burger, where Valerie was already waiting for him.

They entered the restaurant silently, without even acknowledging the other. They also stood in two separate lines as they ordered their food, gathered their trays, and they decided where to sit. The pair ended up choosing a corner booth, which was a little farther off from the rest of the crowded eating area. Once there, Valerie wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Now will you please tell me whats wrong? I've been waiting all day." She said, slowly unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap for no real reason.

"Look... Its kind of hard to get out all at once... And I'm still trying to figure it all out... Gosh, I just to tell someo-"

"Thats why I'm here now Danny. Just try me, I'm sure I'll be able to handle it." She cut-in, folding her arms over her chest now. "I'm your friend. Maybe not like Sam and Tucker, but you know me enough to trust me right?"

"Right..." He muttered dryly as he looked away, taking a deep breath. "I just need someone to talk to about this."

"Thats why I'm here, like I've said. Now let me have it." Valerie sat back, and opened her mind to anything she was about to hear.

"Okay... This all started when I was born I guess... I just found out recently that I was adopted... So I guess that is where this all started-"

After that, he just let everything flow out so freely that he didn't even know what he was saying, other than the fact that he knew he was explaining things from the accident with the portal when he was just 14 years old, the lies and betrayal he faced with his new found abilities, what he saw before he ran into her, right up to his decision to runaway. All the while, Valerie stayed quiet and let him finish, even offering him a napkin when tears began to dot his eyes again.

"So... You're-" She started slowly, trying to pick her words carefully in her state of surprise.

"Yes."

"But then that means..." A simple nod answered her unasked question.

"Yes... It does. I'm not happy about it either, but I just wanted someone to know all this before I go, which I guess would be now." He said as he quickly rose to his feet and tried to leave, only to have his arm grabbed by Valerie.

"First off, Danny I am so sorry about what happened... And secondly... You are so not doing this on your own!" Her voice grew in strength the more she spoke. "I know we're not the best of friends, but-"

"Nothing to be sorry about... And I am doing it on my own." He responded in such a monotoned voice, that Valerie had thought that she imagined it for a moment.

She just glared at him, her hand shooting out as if to slap him but suddenly dropping it onto his slightly bigger one in an attempt to keep both of their cool.

"No, we have to find Danielle. I'm going with you to do at least that much." Valerie frowned and began her previous statement once again. "I know we're not the best of friends, and that our alter egos have fought before, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to help you now. You need it most right now and I can tell."

"Val, this isn't something th-" She cut him off, feeling the full weight of the world falling on her shoulders as she spoke next.

"This isn't something you can say no to! I'm coming with you and thats that." She said sternly, pushing back on her chair and standing up boldly.

"Val, you have a home and a family you need to return to. I don't want you getting wrapped up in my problems." Danny stated, trying to reason with the other.

"Listen here, Danny. All I have back at that apartment is my dad, and with the way things are now all I am is a burden to him. I'm coming with you." The male didn't say anything against this, all his did was slowly nod his head slowly. "Now come on, we need to stop at my house before we leave."

Danny frowned in defeat, but then nodded his head again before he allowed Valerie to gather up their food and drag him to the nearest bus stop for transportation, and after a quick bus ride and quick walk, they went to her house to pack her things up for the trip. In her bag, she packed a first aid kit ,three pairs of clothing, water bottles, some non-perishable food, $350 in cash, her red huntress gear, and a spare set of weapons just in case.

"All set... Oh and Danny?" He looked up in response after packing the last of their things.

"Sorry for thinking you and your dog ruined my life...And that all ghost's are evil." He chuckled bitterly at this and grabbed her hand gently.

"What was that for?" He asked softly, with a little liveliness in his tone.

"Just felt the need to say it, but right now we will need an alias each. Just to get it out of the way before we leave." They looked at each other for a split second as Valerie thought of their names, and Danny just looked at her with a raise eyebrow.

"Sooner or later, people will notice we're missing and come after us. We need to get off the grid ASAP." Valerie explained, all while still in deep thought. "Its a trick I learned from my dad a while back while he still worked at the labs, so I'll be Emilia Knight. Its an old allies but since I never used it on dad then it'll do for me."

Danny nodded in approval of this name, and Valerie was quick to shoot a name back at him. "You're Derrick Thantos. I guess you can be Emilia's cousin for the time being unless we think of something different. Now lets do this, because I really don't want to stay another minute in this backwards town!"

She laughed at this name an her statement, and Danny laughed with her for the sake of laughing as he flew them out of her room and in the direction of the only forest in town at his top ghost speed of 112MPH. Once there in the clearing, Danny landed and began to look around quickly for something, leading to the confusion of Valerie.

"Why the forest?" She asked him with a raise of the eyebrow.

"Portal's to the ghost zone tend to open away from civilization. At least I'm pretty sure the-" He answered quickly and scanned the area quickly, only to pause and point. "Found one!"

"Where is-" She didn't get to finish that statement, as her hand was suddenly grabbed and she was dragged away.

Everything sorta went black after that. When she finally woke up, Valerie looked around in a state of panic at her new, ghostly surroundings, before registering that Danny's limp body was right next to her's and he too had been knocked unconscious from the rough ride in this natural portal. Shaking her head clear, the young hunter eyed Danny's chest to make sure he was still breathing before attempting to wake him.

"Danny, Get up!" She called as she poked him in the side, but he just groaned and rolled over slightly and did not wake up. "Danny come on we have to get Danielle!"

"Lets go then." He yelped as he jumped to his feet suddenly, opening his eyes wide now.

Valerie smiled at her friend's renewed amount of energy, watching as Danny floated upward in his phantom form before flying away at again, his top speed. Valerie frowned, quickly rummaging through her bag until she found her compact hover and clicked it open. Stepping onto the sleek metal of the board, she followed him and after a short trip of flying, they finally ended up in a barren white landscape. Danny stopped suddenly and let himself float down until he hit solid ground. Valerie on the other hand, stayed floating just a while longer.

"Danny, are you sure this is it?" She asked, but gasped in surprise as she watched her half ghost friend suddenly being tackled to the ground by a masked figure. "Danny!"

"Hey! Get off!" Danny groaned, trying to knock the figure from him but having a difficult time by how fast it moved.

Valerie watched for a moment as the two figures on the ground wrestled, each throwing their own set of what sounded to be painful punches. Acting on instincts, Valarie searched for a weapon among her supplies, mainly because she did not know the capabilities of the second figure down below.

"Danny! Try to stay low!" She called when her hands finally touched the weapon she had been looking for. "Perfect."

"Yeah! I'm trying to!" Danny called back in a low growl, his voice covering the soft gasp that his attacker let out upon hearing his name.

"Wait! Don't!" The voice behind the mask suddenly called up to Valerie, but the hunter wasn't stopping.

Pulling out her mini-gun, Valerie took aim, keeping her eyes on the attacker and was about to shoot when the attacker suddenly sat up on Danny and removed the dark mask it had been wearing, allowing the teens to finally see the assailants face. They both gasped in surprise by what they saw.

"Dani!?"


	3. Point A: You Are Here

"Dani!?" Said girl locked neon green eyes with those of the Red Huntress, who was out of uniform now and with a gun still aimed at her.

"Valerie! Danny!" A mix of curiosity and joy flooded the young halfa at the sight of familiar faces. "What are you two doing here?"

"Dani, how about we explain after ourselves after you tell us your story?" Danny suggested suddenly, just wanting to make sure that nothing bad had happened to his little cousin in the half a day they were separated.

Dani nodded and took a breath before explaining her part of the story.

"Okay, when we were in the basement you seemed like you were angry and upset, and since I didn't want to cause any more trouble, I turned invisible and intangible before returning to the ghost zone, but I guess I couldn't really take the strain, so after floating around for awhile I ended up somewhere near here for rest..." She paused and took a breath. "But I guess its ghost hunting season or something, because I did run into Skulker"

Danny's own neon eyes lit up in a mix of surprise and worry, causing Dani to smile softly. It was nice to know that someone cared about her, and even worried about her well-being even when it was obvious that she was okay.

"But he forgot one thing." Dani's smile widened in pride as she continued her tale. "I'm a Phantom, so I managed to get away from him! That was about a few hours before you guys showed up, so I guess I was still a little jumpy... Sorry I attacked you, cuz."

"Its okay. I'm just glad you're okay." Danny smiled and reached over to pat the little girl's head gently.

"Glad to know, but since I told you what happened, its your turn." Dani giggled, brushing her cousin's hand off of her head as Danny looked towards Valerie before nodding his head.

"Okay, well when you disappeared, Jack and I got into an argument and some things were said an-" Dani suddenly held up her hand to cut him off.

"None of this beating around the bush stuff. You can tell me what happened." She said in the sternest voice she could muster. "Okay, now start again."

"Are you sure?" A nod answered him and he took a deep breath to start again.

Danny had then launched off into the elaborate explanation of what had happened the night before and the day after, not sparing his cousin a single detail. That seemed to help Danielle understand what happened and why, or at least Danny's reason for why it happened. Like Valerie had done at the Nasty Burger, Dani did the same by sitting silently and waiting for the story to finish before speaking.

"Okay, so let me get this straight; You had a fight with your dad, who isn't actually your dad, your running away from Amity to find your real parents now, and then you saw Sam and Tucker kiss even though Sam stood you up without reason, That it?" The two older teens nodded about to say something only for Dani to speak up again. "You changed your name to Derrick Thantos also, Val changed her name to Emilia Knight just in case someone comes after you two also?"

"Thats about the gist of it." Danny shrugged his shoulders idly. "Well, the whole finding my real parents wasn't really part of the plan until you just mentioned it."

"And why not?" Dani pouted in confusion.

"I didn't have much time to think things over until just now." Danny sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know it may seem dramatic, but-"

"Am I the only one that thinks thats a little strange?" Dani asked suddenly, raising her eyebrow slowly. "Like the whole Sam and Tucker thing?"

"I thought it was strange also, but Dani thats really something I don't want to deal with right now." Danny grunted, resting his head on his hands. "They aren't the reason that I chose to do this. I was already going to run away before I saw that."

"Just because you got into a fight with your adoptive parents? You didn't really talk about it with them first?" Dani responded, in all innocent curiosity. "Doesn't your sister normally try to defuse situations like that or something?"

"Normally, but not this time..." Danny frowned suddenly and shook his head. "And it wasn't just that, it was also the fact that they were going to hurt you an- I guess I just sorta lost it after that... You're blood family an-"

"Say no more." Danielle smiled and gently leaned over to hug her cousin. "I'm glad to hear it, though I still think you should have talk-"

"And this is coming from the girl whose run away from home more times than I can count." The older halfa cut in suddenly, not wanting her to to finish that sentence.

"Fair enough, but that was because I didn't want you to find out about the plan and because I found out I was a mistake." Dani said in a good-hearted way.

"Bad example?" Danny shoot his head and patted his cousin's head once again.

"Dang straight, and quick change of topic! I'll be Elizabeth Thantos." Dani said, looking up at the two teens who were now eyeing her curiously. "Hey, I don't have a place to stay anyway, so I figured I'd just tag along with you guys."

"Okay... Well then, Liz w-" He was cut off by Dani, now dubbed Elizabeth.

" My name ain't Liz, 'Derry'. It's Lizi with an I!" Danny smiled fondly at the fact she had managed to keep her catchphrase, and that she called him by his alias.

"First off, Ain't isn't a word, and secondly you and I need to get new alter egos and outfits for both our forms." Danny said firmly. "To many people know us."

She nodded her head of white hair and opened her mouth yet again to speak but was cut off by Valerie, or 'Emilia' since they were using their fake names now.

"Well, we can start on the names, but the costumes might be a little difficult since we don't really have anything on hand." She told both of the halfas calmly, before shaking her head a little.

"Costumes and names aren't going to be a problem, Val- Er, Em." Danny informed her, taking both girls by surprise.

"How?" Both girls asked in unison.

"Some ghosts owe me a few favors here. I'm sure they'd be able to help us." Danny said simply, smirking as he floated a few feet above the ground.

The two girls nodded before using their own form of flight to follow the boy's lead. Shortly after, the trio found themselves flying aimlessly as they quietly chatted back and forth to one another.

"Ooh! Can I have the name Shadow?" The youngest of the Halfas asked excitedly. "I love that name!"

"Sure, and I'll be Shade." Danny said as both girls nodded in approval. "Huh... That name sounded cooler in my head, but it'll do."

"Eh, its fine." Val laughed shortly, shaking her head once again. "Now that that is done, what about these ghost favors you were talking about."

"That where we're headed now. You two wait outside while I talk and then-" Danny stopped abruptly as they arrived at their destination.

He smiled in what seemed to be relief and then floated over to the door and knocked. It flew opened seconds later, taking the girls by surprise as they did not expect a ghost with dark green skin, and a pale white mullet, to appear. What also weirded them about a bit was that he was wearing a pair of black boots, a black trench coat with neon green buttons, underneath a grey cape, and on his face he was wearing a pair of black rectangle glasses. Not sure why that weirded them out, but it did.

"Who dares intrude on Technus; the master of technology and all things electronic!?" When he finished his statement, Danny just cleared his throat idly. "Oh... What do you want ghost child?"

Danny floated up to Technus slowly, looking both ways for some reason, before leaning in forward and whispering in the ghost's ear.

"Oh. Well of coarse! If only I can do it then I shall help you... Come inside" His entire demeanor did a total 180, and left the girls wondering what their friend had said to him.

"Thanks Technus, this means a lo-" The older halfa was cut off suddenly by a ringing noise emitting from his bag.

"What is that?" Technus exclaimed, sounding appalled by the ringtone.

"Um, just a minute." Sighing, he reached into his bag and pulled out a black phone and looked at the screen quickly before pressing a button and placing it to his ear "Hello?"

"Danny, please before you hang up I need to tell you something!" An all to familiar female voice exclaimed suddenly.

"Sam!" He wasn't really sure why he was surprised, for he saw her on the caller ID before answering.

"Look, I'm sorry Danny, I don't know what exactly happened yesterday, but if it was because I didn't sho-" Danny's sigh cut the goth off suddenly.

"Sam, answer me this and don't think just answer... Were you and Tucker kissing? I just want to clear the air on that." He asked slowly.

"No! Danny, for God's sake! You and I are dating, and I'm sorry that I didn't make our date, but my parents practically had me on house arrest." Sam replied, with her tone changing from shock to soft. "And then at school, we found out Tucker's great aunt Maura had died two days ago and I was just hugging him. The kiss on the cheek was a little out of character, but I didn't know how else to calm our friend down! I'm sorry if you th-"

"Sam, no need to be sorry. I should have let you explain..." He began, only to have Sam pipe up again, this time she sounded beyond upset. "Not that it would change much tho-"

"I tried to talk to you after school, but when I went to your house I found your sister in near hysterics because you never came home. She said you ran away last night but wouldn't tell me why." The goth's frown could almost be sensed through the phone. "Danny, where are you right now!?"

"Sam, I promise when I get back, I'll explain everything... Or at least when you call me next, and tell Tucker the same thing I told you. I'm sorry but there are other things going on right now that you don't know about. Bye" He said, quickly hanging up and wiping a single tear away from his eye.

He then slid his phone in his pocket, and then looked at 'Em' and 'Lizi' and sighed heavily before smiling softly. He couldn't wait for all of this to be over.


	4. Follow Me, Everything Is Alright

Danny, now under the name, Derry walked- well more like floated into Technus's lair. He smiled brightly for some reason as the technology ghost led them to a well-sized table that had a small scanner the size of a textbook jutting out from the side of its length-wise edges.

"Place your hand on the scanner and think about what kind of costume design you want." Technus said bluntly, watching as Derry nodded and did as instructed. "Don't think of anything else though, cause we'll see it."

With another nod, Derry closed his eyes and concentrated hard until his design appeared in the center of the table. The design was a black, skin tight suit with medium electric blue lines running the chest area until coming together in the form of the silhouette of a phoenix. The pant area of the suit was solid black on one leg and electric blue on the other. Technus went to the board suddenly and added his own hand. As he did this, a change accoured to the costume and around the left wrist, a wristwatch appeared that was a faded grey color and had a digital clock with glowing green digits on the screen. With a satisfied smirk, Derry sat down The suit and watch instantly became solid, and in the process, two identical watches appeared next to it, containing the girl's costumes (Chosen by Danny in a non-pervy way).

"I'll be brief in explaining the watches: They are capable of more than telling time you know." Technus began, picking up the four articles of clothing and handing them out. "The minute button will change the color of your eyes, the hour will be hair, and the second is your skin-"

"Hey, thats really cool and all, but what if we need to reset the clocks or sink our watches or something?" Derry asked, inspecting his watch idly.

"Its always accurate when telling the time also so theres really no need to set it." Technus responded bluntly, shaking his head slowly. "There is also a dial there that will lock the keys so you don't change anything about yourself by accident."

"Thats so cool!" Derry all but yelped.

"I know it is, and now that I have repaid my dept. Leave!" He said narrowing his eyes dangerously as Derry nervously and flew out. "Until we meet again, ghost boy..."

Derry flew through Technus's door to the area he had left the girls and presented the watches to his companions. The girls, who were eyeing the watches curiously, eventually looked to their half-ghost friend for some answers to their unasked questions. Sighing, Derry placed a watch into each of their palms.

"Put them on and I'll try to explain as best I can." The girls hesitantly took a watch each, and then listened carefully as Derry filled them in one what Technus had told him.

When that was done and the watches were on, their clothes began changing colors, and as they changed the dials, so did their physical features. Valerie, 'Emilia's' huntress suit had changed from red to dark blue and black to silver and the over all structure had changed from a body suit into a half sleeved, skirted leotard with an attached hood and cape. Derry's watched in surprised, and then laughed in almost shock as his suit changed from his black and white one, to the one he had seen in the lab just minutes earlier. As for Dani, or Lizi as she went by now, the white parts of her costume changed to dark pink and black stayed black. The set up had changed into a halter top styled shirt that fit well around her hips, a mini-shirt, and tights under it. After that, each teen took turns changing their physical features. This left Emilia with pale skin, blonde hair, and violet eyes, and Derry and Dani with matching features as they both had dark teal hair, navy blue eyes, and tan skin.

"Whoa! Derry these are amazing" Lizi exclaimed, looking herself over with wide eyes. "Do the watches change our human forms also?"

Derry smiled at the compliment, and intended to silently answer her question as he closed his eyes to change back. Two tendrils of bright blue energy wrapped around his body and surrounded him before the glow died. There now stood a boy with light purple eyes, platinum blonde hair and pale skin, wearing a white hazmat boots, matching fingerless gloves, black jeans, a black utility belt, and a blue, short sleeved t-shirt with a band symbol on his chest. Lizi gasped and followed her cousin's lead as energy appeared around her and traveled the same way as Derry's did. When this fell, she found herself in an almost identical suit outfit except that the shirt she wore was a baby blue summer dress with black leggings instead of jeans. Her hat was also replaced by a white head-band.

"This is so cool! But also, kinda girly.' Lizi muttered as she looked over this new outfit.

"You'll get used to it." Derry shook his head and turned to look at Emilia.

Emilia took her turn, as a white ring tinted with midnight blue traveled up and reviled her to now be a pastel red-head, with freckles and tan skin, and baby blue eyes. Her outfit was the same set-up as her usual one, except that the top was faded purple and long sleeved that fanned out at the bottom of each wrist. Her skirt was now longer and more flowing with black accents and instead of a head band, there was a pastel flower head band.

"Wow!" Lizi said breathlessly, in aww at the beautiful outfit.

"Really think? I'm not to sure about it though." Em laughed, looking herself over. "Never thought I'd be in pastel goth attire before. Not really my style but I kind like this."

The trio had a good laugh at that line, and with a quick transformation, they all turned back into their hero counterparts. Lizi seemed the happiest out of the group, looking over her hero costume and happily announcing herself to be Shadow. Em, or Silver Knight now, just laughed along at her playful antics. Shade on the other hand, frowned suddenly, his purple eyes sharpening like a wolf's as his ears perked to life, hearing noises that may or may not be there. In this place, he couldn't tell.

"Come on, we need to move." He said as he looked at his two friends, "Theres something wrong. We haven't been attacked yet and in an area like this, I don't think its safe, especially since Technus is no longer in my debt."

"You're right. But does this place really have any safe-places?" Emilia asked, slowly looking around.

"No idea. But since we have these watches now, we might just be able to hide out in the human world for now." Derry sighed, "I know you guys aren't to keen on your human clothes, but you might have to change back for now."

"Wait! I think I know of a place we could stay at for the night." Lizi suddenly budded in, floating in an upwards direction before taking off, calling over her shoulder just once, "Follow me!".


End file.
